You Are Cordially Invited
by clandestinedly
Summary: Maura and Jane are planning their wedding; there are bound to be some setbacks on the way...  Set after the series one finale
1. The Flowers

**AU: I own nothing :] This is just my latest offering to the Rizzoli and Isles fandom.** This chapter is a little slow, but don't worry - it all picks up in the later chapters! Please read & review!

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><p>"Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself," Maura said quietly, under her breath. She picked up the bouquet before her, her hands wrapping gracefully around the green stems of the roses and lilies; raising it to her face and inhaling its' glorious scent. The colours of the flowers were bright and vibrant, hues of red and orange; the colours contrasting and reminding her of a bright summers' evening as the sun lowered its position in the evening sky.<p>

"What?" Jane grunted under her breath, moving past Maura down the aisles filled with flora and doing a full circle of the florists' shop before returning back to Maura's side. She looked around her impatiently.

"These will be my flowers, and I want to choose them, myself." She looked at Jane, placing the bouquet back into the vase, moving to the left and inspecting the next bouquet of gerberas. Jane visibly shrugged nonchalantly. "Virginia Woolf, Jane. A Literary genius..." She picked up the bouquet and inspected it, before placing it back down again. "I don't just want _any_ flowers, I want the most beautiful, perfect bouquet," she begun.

"Flowers aren't that important, Maura. What's important is that we are getting married, and that we love each other," Jane began, moving towards her blonde fiancée and placing a kiss upon her cheek.

Maura nodded, and blushed slightly – unused to Jane's public display of affection. "Did you know, the significance of bouquets at weddings was established centuries ago; and they would often be made of herbs and garlic cloves to ward off any evil spirits which may have been a threat to the couples' future."

Jane almost felt her eyes rolling into her head as she listened to Maura's 'googlemouth' run its course. She leaned forward and picked up a bunch of white calla lilies, holding them out towards Maura. "How about these? These are ... nice..."

Maura looked shocked as she took a step backwards, looking at Jane with a raised eyebrow. "Those are the flowers of death, Jane! They used to lay these on the graves of dead innocents - Is that what you think of our marriage? Am I the boulder that is tied around your ankle? The old "ball and chain?"

Jane put the flowers down, her arms crossing over her chest. "Don't you think you're over-reacting slightly? I never said that – "

"...Because if that is what you think, Jane Angela Rizzoli, then you can forget it! Forget the whole damn thing!" Maura continued, not even having heard Jane's words of protest. It was as if the red mist had descended throughout Maura's entire being. She had spent months planning this wedding, _their wedding_, and every single detail – no matter how small – was important and to be considered. Maura had forgotten how many cups of coffee she had gulped down this morning before leaving and she certainly couldn't remember when the last time she got a decent nights' sleep. To anybody else, yes, they may have just been flowers, but after everything they had been through – all of the drama, the fights and the nights spent justifying their relationships to both sets of parents; they were just as important as their outfits, or their rings. Everything had to be perfect; she and Jane were only going to have one wedding day, one ceremony, one set of vows. When she had stopped thinking, she began to process what had shot out of her mouth in a moment of instantly regrettable madness. She looked towards the taller brunette, her face softening immediately and her gaze falling towards the floor.

Jane's face was crestfallen; she couldn't believe what Maura had just said, no, yelled at her – in front of an entire store. Sure, over the years they had endured their petty fights and squabbles; most had been forgotten about as soon as they were over, but nothing had been said in such a finalizing manner as this. She wasn't sure whether to walk out of there quickly, partly from embarrassment, partly from shock; or to stay there and talk it out with Maura. Whatever she tried to do, her feet seemed pretty stuck to the floor and her pulse was quickening. Unlike her usual cool and collected composure, Jane felt her cheeks grow to a pale blush and her voice lost.

"Jane, I didn't mean it – I'm sorry," Maura started. She moved towards the officer, her arm reaching out to grasp Jane's bicep. "I just need this day to be perfect, and I've been worrying about it and – I'm sorry," her voice softened and her breath hitched from her chest.

"I just can't believe you would say something like that, never mind the circumstances. You're so caught up in the design of this wedding that I think you've forgotten what it's all about, Maura. _Us_, you and I and the love that we share for one another. Forget the flowers, forget the dress, hell – forget the guests! I don't care about any of it. The ceremony relies on _love_, Maura, and I can't believe that you've just made me doubt our relationship for the first time, and over a bunch of shitty flowers!" Jane raised her arm in anger, and threw it down amongst a bed of roses, sending petals soaring into the air, almost in slow motion as the brunette stormed out of the shop and the medical examiner stood in a shower of red, yellow and apricot coloured petals.


	2. The Past Always Comes Back To Haunt You

**AU: So I wanted to get chapter two up pretty quickly so it gets a bit more interesting, because I know chapter one doesn't offer very much. So here it is. Thank you for the reviews I've already received; hope you all enjoy this :)**

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><p>Jane slammed the door of the florist's shop behind her as she strode up the street. She didn't care to look behind her, or notice whoever was watching her practically run away from the storefront. Nor did she answer or turn around when she heard Maura's voice yelling up the street after her for her to stop or slow down. Moving towards the kerb of the sidewalk, she threw her hand out into the air and hailed a cab. She was breathing heavily now, due to the ferocity of her speed, and as the cab pulled up she opened the door and practically hopped in. The door closed with a loud slam behind her, and she directed the cab driver back to her apartment. The leather seats of the cab felt cool against the skin of her arms, the weather had been uncharacteristically warm for April; the highs reaching 71.6F for the best part of a week now, and so Jane hadn't felt the need to wear much more than a tank top and a pair of her old running shorts. Maura had suggested that she buy something a little more appropriate for the weather – Capri pants, maybe – but this had led into a discussion of what Capri pants are and why she couldn't just wear the shorts that she already had in her drawer.<p>

The drive home wasn't too long, the traffic was light as it was just after one, and most people were still in work or school. Jane couldn't believe what had just happened; even through all of their arguments – no matter how serious or petty – Maura had never said anything like that before. In fact, their arguments would usually be resolved if not under an hour, then within a couple – but they would never sleep on unresolved issues. After everything they had been through, all of the nights spent worrying about what people would think, even the nights spent coming to terms with their own sexuality and the feelings they had developed for one another – and Maura was willing to just throw everything away? Jane couldn't even begin to comprehend it and could feel herself growing angrier as she thought about it. _It was just a damn flower!_ _– Just a bunch of stupid, insignificant flowers._ _If I hadn't suggested them to Maura, we wouldn't be in this mess. Or was Maura just looking for an easy route out of this relationship?_ That was it! Just like a lightbulb that had been turned on, everything fit into place in Jane's head.

The cab pulled to a stop outside of their apartment building and Jane handed the money to the driver in the front seat. She must've closed the cab door a lot harder than she meant to because as she made her way up the steps of her building, a string of curse words were being yelled in her direction. Ignoring them, she slipped her key into the brass lock and made her way up the three flights of stairs to apartment 12. _Was this what Maura had planned? Knowing I would get frustrated, leaving her with the perfect excuse to throw such a thing at me?_ Flopping on the couch, she was quickly joined by an eager Jo Friday, who jumped onto the cushion beside Jane's lap and snuggled down. She sighed as she ran her fingers through the small dog's fur. Wedding plans could be seen all around their apartment; from colour boards, to fabric swatches; invitations that had been sent back with either an acceptance or rejection note. Standing up, she made her way over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of beer, expertly twisting the bottle cap off and tossing it to the side. Gulping most of it down in one, she leaned against the counter pensively.

Jane was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't even hear the phone ringing from the living room. She snapped back to reality as the machine beeped loudly and a strange voice could be heard ringing through the apartment.

"Maura, Hi," the voice began. "It's Lydia. I'm just calling you back regarding the wedding invitation I received in the post today. Of course, I would be honoured to come, darling. Call me back when you get this – especially if you need any assistance, you remember how good my planning skills are; and I'm sure I could have a quiet word with Marcus and ask if he would prepare some of those wonderful canapés we had at our engagement party. Goodbye, for now."

As the loud beep indicating the end of the message rang out through the apartment, Jane's face paled and her stomach twisted. Who was this woman? _Darling? __Canapés? __Engaged?_ Her mind was racing at the speed of light and she instantly felt dizzy. Her grasp around the bottle in her hand tightened, and she raised her arm and threw it across the room. The bottle shattered as she hit the doorframe, glass spilling out everywhere and only near missing Maura who had just walked through the door.

"Jane!" Maura exclaimed as the door closed behind her. She stepped gingerly over the glass and turned around, surveying the damage behind her. "Was that really necessary? I know we fought and things were said but..." she was cut off by the detectives stare.

"Why don't you tell me?" She walked towards the phone, passing Maura as she did so. "There was a phone call for you while you were out." Jane folded her arms defensively.

"Oh, did they leave a name? It was probably just the dressmaker; I've been expecting a call from her about the trim on my dress."

Jane shook her head. "It wasn't the dressmaker, Maura." She pushed the play button on the machine and turned around as the beep once again rang out through the apartment. Turning around, she walked over towards the window and looked past the curtain across the street.

Maura felt her eyes widen as she heard Lydia's message. She hadn't heard from Lydia since her days in college and she _certainly_ hadn't sent an invitation to her! She cringed when she heard Lydia refer to her as 'darling', and she felt like murdering her for mentioning their engagement – all of which lasted around a week and a half, before she had found Lydia cheating on her with the only person in Maura's class whom Maura considered competition; a five foot eight inch tall busty brunette named Farina.

"Jane, I don't..."

"Save it, Maura. I don't even think I _want_ to know. How could you keep something like that from me? And then you invite your _ex-fiancée_ to our wedding? What kind of person does that?" She spun around on the spot, her hands raised in the air. Her words spat out of her mouth like venom, tears building in her eyes.

Maura moved towards Jane, reaching out to her. "Jane, please – let me explain! It's not how it looks!"

"Explain how you were previously engaged to another woman and didn't tell me? Explain why out of all the previous relationships you've told me about, you neglected to mention _Lydia, darling_," Jane's tone of voice changed, mocking the message on their machine. "Explain why the hell you invited her to _our _wedding? The wedding which is now _off_, by the way." She moved past Maura and towards the door, grabbing her jacket. "No, Maura. I'd rather not hear it." The glass from the broken bottle crunched beneath Jane's shoes as she pulled the door open.

"Where are you going?" Maura asked, moving towards her. "Please, don't leave, Jane. Stay; let me explain!" Maura's eyes were pleading with Jane's, begging her to stay and let her talk to her. Tell her that she didn't have anything to do with Lydia anymore; tell her what happened. Tell her that she loved Jane, and had only ever loved Jane from the first moment she met her. How she would never love anyone else again.

"No, Maura. You do _not_ get to tell me what to do."

"Are you coming back?" Maura said.

Jane looked towards the floor, thumbing her keys in her hand. "I need some time, okay? I'm going to go and stay with Ma for a while." She made her way out of the door, closing it behind her. Maura stood and watched her fiancée leave the apartment, and only when the door closed behind Jane did it really hit her. She didn't allow herself to cry; instead she grabbed her car keys and made her way out of their apartment. Her silver prius was parked down the block. Getting into the car, she started the engine and headed for Newton, Massachusetts.


	3. Mother Knows Best?

**AU: Thanks for all of the lovely reviews so far :] Here's chapter 3 - hope you all enjoy it!**

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><p>Her parents didn't live close to Maura and Jane, but Maura was too incensed with anger to care about the drive. It took about an hour and a half with the traffic building up for peak travel but soon enough she found herself pulling up in front of her parents' mansion. Turning into the driveway, she parked and shut off the engine, stepping out of the car. The wind had picked up some and flapped the hem of her summer dress in the gush of air. She lifted her sunglass from her eyes so they sat on top of her hair and put her keys back into her purse. Her fathers' black BMW wasn't there so Maura assumed it would just be her mother at home. Walking down up the driveway that circled back on itself, she made her way up the steps that lead to the front door.<p>

It had been some time since Maura had been here. Since her parents found out about her relationship with Jane, their relationship had been strained, to say the least. Maura had only sent them an invitation out of courtesy, not expecting them to turn up for the ceremony. She pushed the white and chrome doorbell and waited for a response. Shadows could be seen moving past the obscured glass panels in the seven foot doors' and one was headed right towards the door; Maura inhaled quickly. The door creaked as it swung open, and a maid she didn't recognize stood before her.

The woman smiled towards Maura. "Hello, how may I help?"

Maura exhaled loudly. "Is Mrs Isles here, please?"

The auburn-haired woman moved around from the door. "Yes, she is. Who should I say is here?"

"Just tell her that her daughter would like to speak to her."

The lady nodded, "I won't be long, I'll see if she's available."

The door shut behind her and Maura looked over her shoulder. All of their flowers were in bloom, planted by a gardener, no doubt. Maura couldn't remember a time when her mother and father didn't have hired help around the house. Even whilst Maura was growing up, she spent most of her life with her nanny rather than her parents. Inside the house, Maura could hear a commotion, before seeing two shadows moving towards the door. She could hear her mother, telling the woman to leave her alone and dismissing her for the rest of the day. Maura rolled her eyes and waited for the door to open.

"Maura, dear. This is a pleasant surprise." Marion Isles stood before her, dressed up to the nines as usual, with a forced smile upon her face.

"Mother," Maura spoke sternly. "This is a surprise, but most definitely not a pleasant one."

Marion stepped back, allowing Maura entrance to the house. "Won't you come in?"

Maura stepped past her mother into the house. It still looked the same as she remembered it. She followed the carpet runner down from the front door towards the living room. She heard the door shut behind her, followed by the muffled sounds of her mother's heels trailing behind her.

"Would you like some tea, Maura? Your father should be home any minute."

Maura turned to face her mother, who was now sat down on one of the armchairs opposite the oversized fireplace. "No, mother. I did not come here for tea. I came here about my wedding."

Marion's face wrinkled at the mention of the wedding. "Ah, yes. _That._"

Maura frowned, and crossed her arms. Her stance stiffened at the tone of her mother's voice. "I know you don't approve, but I did not come here for your judgement. I know what you've done."

Marion crossed her legs behind one another and sat forward, her hands on her lap. "I don't know what you mean. Your father and I haven't decided whether we will be there yet, which is why you haven't had your response yet; if that is what you mean."

"Why did you tell...let alone _invite_ Lydia, mother? That was and still is none of your business."

Her mother smiled slightly, "Ah, yes. Lydia; she's such a lovely woman, isn't she. She was thrilled at the prospect of seeing you again."

"Well, frankly, I don't care if I never see her again in my life, Mother, and you know the pain Lydia caused me. I'm about to get married to someone else; you know that I'm happy with Jane. So why would you want to resurrect the past?"

"Dear, I only invited her to your wedding as a _friend_. Nothing more."

"Oh, a friend – right. You invited Lydia because you knew the damage she could do to my relationship with Jane! You never have liked Jane, Mother. I can see straight through you!" Maura moved around the room at a quickening pace, "God! This is why I didn't even want to invite you to the wedding! All you ever want to do is ruin everything for me!"

"Well if you are going to insist upon having these ... unnatural relationships, Maura, I would rather you do it with someone who at least understands your background! This family still has it expectations of you, you know, even if you don't respect our opinions. There are still social standards to be upheld. You are an Isles, after all!" Marion stood up, moving towards Maura. "I will not have you disgrace your family name even more than you have done so already. Please, understand that I am trying to help you here. It's for your own good -" Marion's wiry fingers grasped for her daughter's skin, but Maura deftly avoided her mother's grip.

"If this is for my own good, then why does it feel like a personal attack? I'm a grown woman and I have the right to live my own life the way I see fit. There's more to life than keeping up with your friends at the country club, Mother! Whether you like it or not I'm going to marry the woman I love..." she paused. "Or that was the supposed to be the plan..."

Marion's eyes practically lit up. "That Rizlay woman called off the wedding!" she sounded almost thrilled at the prospect.

"_Rizzoli_," Maura corrected her. "But she does have a first name as well, you know - Jane. And okay, the wedding may be off for now – no thanks to you! But Jane and I love each other, so don't think for one minute that you've succeeded, Marion. Make no mistake; I intend to get her back. And if I do, please don't imagine that you're still invited to our wedding. So if you'll please excuse me now I need to go and find the woman I _love_ and hope and pray that she'll change her mind!"

"The only thing you should be praying for, Maura, is your own salvation." Her mother looked her up and down, before turning her back on Maura and heading out of the room.

"It is not me who needs saving;" Maura remarked pointedly, as she followed her, "I'm happy, Mother. At least the person I'm going to marry loves me for who I am. You've never experienced that, have you? Real love. Too preoccupied with what everybody else thinks about you. I pity you."

"I believe you'll find your tenses are wrong, dear." Marion headed towards the front door, almost pushing Maura towards it herself.

"What?"

"_Were_, Maura. You _were_ loved. Before your fiancée called off the wedding. And you'll have me to thank for that later on, when you finally see sense." Marion opened the front door, and motioned for Maura to leave. "Lasting relationships aren't based on your silly, schoolgirl notions of 'love'; they are built on mutual respect and stability. And what can this Rizzoli woman even offer you? Mixing with criminals, taking risks every day. She's already been shot once! Realistically, dear, what are the chances that the two of you will even make it to your first anniversary? I do hope that all of that happiness will be worth it if your ceremony actually does take place. Hopefully it won't, and then you can get on with your real life."

Maura couldn't help it; her mother had been pushing her buttons since she arrived. Before she knew it, her hand was moving through the air and had connected with her mother's right cheek with a loud slapping noise, leaving a red hand imprint as Marion straightened up.

"I'm certain you will come to regret that, Maura," Marion said coolly, "Especially when your Father hears of your behaviour today. And believe me, he _will_;" She stepped back, attempting to shut the door on Maura before she could respond, but Maura stepped in between the door and the frame, forcing it open.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore – either of you," Maura's gaze was equally cool and determined, "And just for the record, I'm glad I'm not your biological daughter! I can't even say that you raised me – I spent more time with my Nanny as a child than I ever did with either of you. You are nothing more than a vicious, spiteful old lady who is going to end up alone." Turning away from the door she started down the concrete steps. "Goodbye, Marion."

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><p><strong>As always, reviews &amp; criticisms are always welcomed!<strong> :)


	4. Heart To Heart

**AU: Here's the next chapter, I'm really enjoying writing this fic; as always I do not own anything - and reviews and criticisms are always welcome :)**

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><p>"What are you doing here?" Angela asked, curiously. Placing the lid on the stainless steel pot that was beginning to simmer on the stove.<p>

"Nice to see you too, ma!" Jane replied, closing the front door behind her and making her way into the kitchen.

"I'm always happy to see my only daughter," Angela moved forward, her face beaming as she stood in front of Jane, kissing her on the cheek. "It's just a bit unexpected! Do you want some dinner? The gnocchi will be ready soon."

"I'm not hungry." Jane sat down on a wooden dining chair besides the long table that sat in the centre of the room. Jane could hear her mother still fussing over the pots on the stove, the cutlery clanging together and cupboard doors opening and shutting as she chose what herbs and spices to put with her meal. "Ma!" Jane called through to the kitchen. "Do you mind if I stay here for a couple of days?"

The clattering in the kitchen ceased, "Mind? Of course not, Janie!" Angela quickly appeared in the dining room, sitting on a chair opposite her daughter. "Is everything okay with you and Maura?"

"Yeah, I just needed to get away from all of this wedding planning stuff, I just need a break." Jane decided to not indulge her mother with all of the facts, or she would never hear the end of it. All Jane wanted to do was to isolate herself for a couple of days, to not think about the wedding – and to give Maura some space to decide what she really wants.

"I understand, it can be a bit much. But tell me, have you booked your photographer yet? Photographs are very important; you'll look back on them for the rest of your life and remember your wonderful day."

Jane shook her head. _We probably won't be needing one_. "Maura can sort everything out for now. I really don't want to talk about it, Ma. Please," Jane was sounding more agitated now.

"Well, I should give her some recommendations. You know Sofia Liatos up the street? Her son's nephew just got married the other day, and she said their photographer was amazing. You didn't even know he was there! And they got all of these lovely, personal shots of the bride getting ready, and then after the ceremony..."

"Ma! Please!" Jane stood up from the table. "Please, just leave it alone. I told you, Maura will take care of everything." _Including her ex-fiancee_, Jane thought wryly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's not every day that my _only _daughter gets married! You can't blame me for being a little excited after all these years!" Angela looked offended that her daughter had told her to stop talking about the wedding.

Jane practically rolled her eyes, "You do remember your two other kids – Frankie & Tommy, right? They could still have weddings too – not everything hinges on my wedding!" Her tone lowered, "It shouldn't anyway."

"What was that, dear?" Angela asked, not having heard what Jane muttered under her breath. "How many times have your father and I told you not to mumble, it's rude!"

Sighing loudly, Jane turned around and started to leave the room. "I said, I have a migraine; I'm going to go take a nap."

As she left the room, she could hear Angela still talking to her as she made her way up the stairs. "Fine; that's fine. I'll still be here when you come downstairs."

Jane's room looked almost the same as when she was a child, even the comforter was the same one that she had slept under as a teenager. The old posters on her walls were still there, next to the medals from her little league matches. Shutting the door behind her, the room suddenly felt much smaller than she remembered; and she sat down on the single bed. It wasn't as comfortable as the bed she shared with Maura back at their apartment, but it would have to do. Stretching out, her feet hung over the foot of the bed by a good foot in length, and Jane found it hard to rest with all of the eyes from the posters staring at her. Turning onto her side, she faced the window, the light shining through brightly as the sun was beginning to set in the sky. Downstairs, she could hear front door shutting from before, and Frankie, talking to Angela in the kitchen.

Soon enough, there were footsteps coming up the stairs and a knock at Jane's door. Se groaned, and turned over in the bed. "Go away," she hollered. "There's no-one here!"

"Open up, Jane," Frankie sighed from outside the door. There was no answer, so he knocked again; repeatedly, until Jane appeared at the door. She stepped back, allowing Frankie in and he sat on the chair by her old study desk, as she sat back down on the bed, lying down and staring up at the ceiling.

"Ma said you were staying here for a couple of days? What's going on?" Frankie said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Nothing's going on; I just needed a place to crash for a few days..." Jane started, her sentence hanging in the air.

Frankie cocked his head, raising an eyebrow. "Honestly, Jane? I know you better than that, and I know Maura enough to know that you two haven't spent a night apart since you got together. So I'll ask again; what's going on?"

Jane sighed, running her hands across her face before sitting up on the bed, resting her back against the frame upon the wall. "Honestly, Frankie... I don't know," she stood up and looked outside the door, ensuring Angela wasn't there eavesdropping, which she had been known to do before. Shutting the door, she sat back down. "But I do know that the wedding is off."

Frankie sat back, eyebrows raised in shock. "What? Seriously?"

Jane nodded, "Until Maura decides on who she wants anyway."

Frankie shook his head in disbelief. "There's somebody else? But she asked you to marry her?" He scratched his head, in true Rizzoli form. "I'm confused."

Jane laughed half-heartedly, "You're not the only one."

"Maura loves you, Jane. Anybody can see that; she adores you. I'm sure this whole thing will just blow over in a couple of days," Frankie tried to reassure his sister. This was new for him; usually it was the other way around – Jane reassuring Frankie that his many failed relationships would work out okay.

Shaking her head, she brushed a strand of her brunette hair behind her ear, "I don't think it's gonna be that easy; I'm not even sure she wants to be with me anymore," she admitted, solemnly.

"What? Jane, that's crazy!"

"Did you know she was engaged before?" Jane shook her head, as if to reaffirm what she had just said – not necessarily for Frankie's sake, but to help herself believe it.

"Maura? No, but I don't really know much about her past relationships. I've found she can be pretty secretive about certain things," Frankie said. He was surprised that Maura hadn't told Jane, especially as they seemed to be permanently glued to each other; both at work and at home.

"Yeah," the brunette sighed. "Turns out she was engaged to a woman called Lydia, and had a fancy party for their engagement with canapés and everything! Then to top everything off, she's invited her to our wedding."

Standing up, Frankie made his way over to Jane, sitting beside her on the bed. "How did you find that out? Please tell me you didn't read her texts or e-mails, or something stupid like that?"

Shaking her head, she replied; "No, this Lydia woman," her tone changed, disgusted at the mere mention of her name. "She rang our apartment – _our_ apartment, Frankie – and left a message for 'Maura, _darling_' to call her back." Jane couldn't stop the tears forming in her eyes as she allowed herself to cry for the first time.

Frankie lifted his arm around Jane's shoulder reassuringly, unsure of what else to do. All through their childhood, Jane had been the tough one; always strong and looking out for both Tommy and Frankie – he could count on one hand the number of times he had seen Jane cry – and most of them were down to injuries in basketball or baseball.

"What you have to remember, sis, is that Maura loves you. This is only an ex-girlfriend,"

"Fiancée," Jane corrected Frankie.

"An ex-fiancée," Frankie continued, "is an ex for a reason. Lydia is a thing of Maura's past, not her present. C'mon, you've had plenty of exes yourself, haven't you?"

Jane cocked an eyebrow, "Well, there have been _some_, but I wouldn't say plenty..." She grumbled. Her brother ignored her, carrying on.

"... Weddings always bring people out from the woodwork, who doesn't like a free meal? Even if this ex of Maura's turns up, you can be assured that she won't be around during or after the ceremony itself." Frankie rolled up his sleeves to illustrate his point, "I won't let anything or anyone ruin your wedding day, believe me," he winked at Jane, causing her to laugh as she wiped her tears from under her eyes.

"It's just all the stress of the wedding, you're just over-reacting! Every guy – " Frankie broke off, catching Jane's disapproving look.

"I'm a lesbian Frankie, not a man," She said pointedly.

"Okay, then, every _gal_ gets nervous before they get married. Sheesh, relationships are relationships, lesbian or just need to sit down with Maura, and really talk; Jane. It is the only way you are going to be able to move past this... this situation." He kissed the top of her forehead lightly and smiled at her. "It will all be okay, I promise."

Jane smiled gratefully at her brother. It wasn't often Frankie revealed his softer side; he was always trying to live up to Jane's 'tough cop' reputation. "Thanks Frankie, for everything," she nodded at her brother as he stood up and made his way out of the bedroom.

"Anytime, sis." He opened the door but stopped abruptly as Jane called towards him.

"Frankie, one more thing?"

"Sure?" He stepped back into the room, his head coming back into Jane's view.

"Not a word of this to ma."

Frankie laughed, lightly. He winked at her knowing what Angela would be like if she got wind of this. "Not a problem."

Jane watched as Frankie left and the door shut behind him. Lying back on the bed, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled Maura's number. Her long fingers rested over the green 'call' button in hesitation, wondering whether she should be the one to make the first move. After all, she wasn't to blame, Jane hadn't done anything wrong. She wasn't the one who had been keeping secrets; in fact, Jane had never been so honest and open in any other relationship. She rested her phone on her varnished bedside table, deciding against it. She would wait to see if Maura would make the first contact.

"Janie, are you sure you don't want anything to eat? You need to eat, you're going to be a bride! Gotta keep your strength up, honey!" Angela's voice boomed throughout the house.

Jane glanced at her phone one more time. It lay still; no messages, no phone call. She swung her legs around from the side of the bed, deciding it would be best to just give in to Angela; or she wouldn't hear the end of it. "Sure, ma; be right down," she shouted to her mother. She checked her phone quickly once more, before heading downstairs.


	5. Please, Come Home

**AU: Thanks all for the lovely reviews and kind words. There is still quite a way to go with this, so I hope you enjoy :] As always, the reviews help me with the writing ;)**

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><p>Maura arrived home just as the rainclouds that had been threatening the skies began to break. Tiny droplets of rain began to fall as she locked her car and made her way up to their apartment. As she opened the door and stepped inside, the crunching sound of the broken beer bottle startled her. Checking around her apartment, she made sure Jane wasn't home. Even though she knew Jane had told her she would be staying with Angela and Frank, Maura still hoped that Jane would have changed her mind. As she made her way into the kitchen, she grabbed the dustpan and broom from beneath the sink and cleaned up the mess in front of the door. The blonde checked the machine to see if there were any new messages, specifically from Jane but there were none – other than the message that had been left by Lydia.<p>

The rain was beginning to fall heavier now, sounding like some was tap, tap, tapping at the apartment window as the droplets collided with the large panes of glass. The sky was getting darker as the night began to close in, and Maura pulled the large curtains that hung either side of the windows to a close. She flipped the light switch on the wall on, and turned on the television; although she was sure she wouldn't be able to concentrate on it. Maura felt physically and mentally drained after everything that had happened. Taking her cell phone out of her bag, she flipped it open to see if there were any messages for her on there. There was nothing, not even anything from work. She had remained on call, and usually got at least one call-out when she wasn't in the office; but today she had nothing to do.

She put her cell phone on to the quartz-granite worktop and fed both Jo Friday and Bass, before taking a long-stemmed wine glass and pouring herself a glass of white zinfandel, which she had bought a few days earlier. As she sat down at the dining table, she let everything that had happened wash over her. Of all the things she had expected her mother to do, this wasn't something Maura had fathomed. The honey-blonde inadvertently shook her head as she thought about it. Maura had thought her mothers' major vice was that Maura had chosen to be with a woman; not that the woman she had loved wasn't good enough for her liking. She knew that her mother had always been snobby; the type of woman to look down her nose at other people but she couldn't believe all of the things she had said about Jane.

Maura knew what the reality of Jane's job meant, and had encountered it firsthand. After the shooting, it had taken nearly a year for Jane to recover fully, and Maura had taken care of Jane night and day. Jane had often complained of being a burden to Maura, trying to assure Maura that actually, she was okay – when the truth was that Jane couldn't even stand up or sit down on her own. Maura hadn't seen taking care of Jane as a chore, though; and actually quite enjoyed the time that they were able to spend together. It was the time when they grew closer each day, and the time Maura felt her relationship with Jane transition from being a friendship to something much more.

Her mother's harsh words rang in her head, "_Realistically, dear, what are the chances that the two of you will even make it to your first anniversary?"_ It was true; Maura had thought of that, but quickly dismissed it from her head. It was just like Marion to plant something in Maura's head that would resonate for some time. She raised her glass to her lips and gulped down nearly all of its' contents. The rosé wine was sweet and tangy, and the large quantity burned her throat slowly as it travelled down her oesophagus. It was too much to think of – Jane being shot again – or even killed, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt her levels of anxiety rise. Maura's hazel eyes rested blankly on the television for a few minutes, watching an infomercial for limescale remover before she saw her cell phone light up on the counter before her. Her heart raced as she picked it up, hoping it would be Jane. As she flipped it open, her heart sunk as she saw that it was an unknown number calling. She pressed the illuminated red button on her phones' keypad and diverted the call to voicemail, she didn't want to speak to or hear from anyone other than Jane. She scrolled down her contact list and selected Jane's number. The picture I.D was one that Jane had taken of them both on vacation in Florida, just after Jane had fully recovered. Maura had insisted that they take a vacation, get away from Boston and go somewhere that had sandy beaches so they could both truly relax. They were sitting on the beach, Maura in a straw sunhat for protection, and Jane with her sunglasses on; both looking relaxed, happy, and most definitely in love.

She pushed the call button on the phone and raised it to her ear. It rang and rang before diverting to Jane's voicemail. Hanging up, she tried calling again, to no avail. The phone beeped onto voicemail and Maura hung up in frustration. Finding the Rizzoli's home telephone number in her phonebook, she pressed the call button and the phone was quickly answered by Angela.

"Hullo?" Angela's thick accent seemed to be more pronounced on the phone.

"Angela, hi – It's Maura." Maura stood up and went to get the bottle of wine from the fridge and poured the remained into her glass. She figured she may need some 'Dutch courage' for this conversation.

"Now sweetie, – how many times now have I told you to call me mom? What can I do for you?" Angela laughed cheerily, seemingly forgetting how upset Jane was when she arrived at her house earlier that day.

"Sorry, _mom_. May I speak to Jane, please?" Maura waited while she heard Angela call out for her daughter to come to the phone. It took a couple of minutes for Jane to take the receiver, and Maura fully expected her to simply hang up rather than talk to her. She was almost surprised when she heard Jane's husky tones on the other end of the phone.

"Hello, Maura."

Maura's thumb danced around the stem of her wine glass nervously. "Jane? Hi... I tried calling your cell - ..."

"Oh, I left it upstairs. I'm watching the game with pop," loud cheers from Frank could be heard down the phone as his team scored again.

"I can hear, do you want me to call back after it has finished?" Maura sipped her wine quietly.

"No, no. It's not too great; and it's not even the red sox, so I don't really care."

Maura nodded, as if Jane could see her. "Okay, I just wanted to talk to you about everything, and explain..." Maura could hear Jane moving about, the static emitting white noise down the phone line.

"Hold on, I'll take the phone upstairs where there's some privacy," Jane said, as she moved up the stairs. Angela could be heard in the background asking where she was going.

"Go on, then," Maura heard a door shut and she presumed they were alright to talk properly now.

"Jane, I didn't invite Lydia to our wedding. I haven't had contact with her for nearly ten years! I know you don't believe me but it was all down to my mother – _she_ was the one who sent her the invitation and gave her our number; I swear!"

"Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Maura shrugged to herself as she sipped some more of her wine. "I didn't think it was important. As I said, I haven't had contact with her for nearly ten years. She isn't a part of my life anymore."

Jane sniffed quietly under her breath, hoping Maura wouldn't catch on to the fact she was upset. Angela shouted loudly upstairs, "Janie, are you alright up there?"

"Yeah, ma!" Jane shouted down, sighing. "This is why I moved out..."

"Well, you still have a home here, you know?" Maura reminded Jane.

"Do you miss me?" Jane asked, quietly.

"Miss you? I miss you more than anything! All I want is for you to come home so we can fix this and get back to planning out wedding. I love you, and only you, Jane Rizzoli."

"You love me so much, but you weren't honest with me about your past relationships," Jane spat, probably a little more viciously than she would've liked.

"But she means nothing to me!" Maura replied, frantically. She didn't see the relevance; Jane was her fiancée, not Lydia. She had moved on, as had time – and why was this all so important to Jane? Maura couldn't understand.

"The point is, Maura; that she did - she meant enough to you that you got engaged to her. I've been more honest with you than I ever have with _anyone_ else, and you couldn't even do the same for me?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But it's in the past; I also didn't tell you that I used to wear ball gowns and tiaras to fancy social balls – because that stage of my life is over and done with!"

"You can't really compare a relationship to a tiara, Maura."

"That's not what I was doing..."

Jane sighed, "You really can't understand how you've hurt me?"

Maura finished off the end of her wine, placing it back down on the counter as she moved from the kitchen into the living room. She looked at the photographs that lined the tops of the cabinets that lined the room, filled with books, DVD's and CD's. "I wasn't actively trying to hurt you, Jane; I didn't even send the damn invitation!" Maura was beginning to get frustrated with not only herself and Jane, but the whole situation.

"That may be true, Maura, but I _am_ hurt. I can't pretend I'm not."

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry – I just want you to come home," Maura begged. "_Please, come home._"

Jane's voice hitched when she heard the desperation in Maura's voice, it was something she wasn't used to, and she felt slightly guilty for not being there. No matter how hurt she was herself, she hated seeing Maura upset; and even worse – being the cause of that upset. _Maybe it would be for the best_, she thought to herself. _At least then you can sort this out for good._ "Okay," Jane hesitated. "But we still have a lot to talk about."

"You're coming back? Really?" A tone of disbelief rang throughout Maura's voice.

"I'll be there in about half an hour," Jane replied, before hanging up.


	6. Let Me Explain

**AU: Sorry this took me so long to post! I've been having a bit of trouble with chapter 7 and wanted to wait 'til I was happy with that before I posted this. I know that's slightly backwards, haha. Thank you for all of the lovely reviews, they certainly help me with writing future chapters ;) Hope you all enjoy this!**

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><p>Maura kept peeking through the curtain, looking out for Jane. The street was now encased in darkness, so all she could see as cars drove by were the headlights shining brightly. As each car drove past, Maura felt her stomach perform somersaults. She had last seen Jane earlier that morning, but it felt like it had been an eternity. Fluffing the pillows on the couch, she kept herself busy; anxiously shuffling the photographs adorning their side-tables. Maura had already re-glossed her lips twice, before fixing and spraying her hair back into place. It almost felt as though she were getting ready for their first date, she gulped nervously as she looked at her watch. It was nearing nine-thirty when she heard a car pull up and park, before hearing a door slam and familiar locking of the car alarm. Not long after that, a key could be heard slipping into the lock of the apartment door and she stood besides the sofa in anticipation. The door opened and suddenly she was standing face-to-face with Jane.<p>

"Hey," the brunette said, as she made her way into their apartment.

Maura practically ran up to Jane, throwing her arms around her neck and kissing her cheek simultaneously. "Jane!" she mumbled in-between kisses, "I'm so happy to see you!"

Jane wrapped her arms around the blonde's petite waist; she was happy to see Maura too, regardless of everything but she remained aware that although she was home, their problems still weren't resolved. "I'm happy to see you too."

Maura felt the brunette pull away from her arms, giving Jane the space she was asking for. She didn't want to say the wrong thing, but she didn't want to remain silent; so she decided it was best just to dive straight in. She moved to the couch and sat down, clutching a pillow to her lap. Jane followed her, sitting next to Maura on the plush, dark cushions. Maura's hazel eyes were big and soulful, and she felt her stomach knot again, knowing that the fate of her relationship was hanging in the balance.

"I have to explain what happened, Jane. I can't bear us fighting – and especially over something that is nothing to do with 'us' as a couple."

Jane nodded, "Okay," she folded her legs beneath her on the couch.

"After you left," Maura began, "I drove to my parents' hose. I knew that mom could've been the only person still in contact with Lydia – there were especially close back when we were both in college...," Maura trailed off.

"And dating," Jane interjected.

Maura nodded, confirming Jane's statement. "We were never in a serious relationship, Jane. Not like this – I was young and very naive. I thought that I'd never meet a woman who would love me back; so I jumped headfirst into the relationship when Lydia showed an interest in myself. The first week of our relationship was great, we were inseparable. She and I both took the same classes so we were practically spending twenty-four hours a day together. She would always tell me how much she loved me, and how happy she was with me," Maura looked away from Jane. "But the next week, Lydia hadn't turned up to class, so after it had ended, I made my way over to her dorm room. I knocked, but there wasn't any answer and when I tried the door handle and it opened, I just waltzed straight in. To say I was shocked when I found her in bed with Farina Jamison would be the understatement of the century. I was absolutely heartbroken and I must've cried myself to sleep more times than I'd like to count over the six months that followed that day."

"You got engaged to her after a _week?_" Jane exclaimed loudly, a little shocked. None of what Maura was describing to her sounded like the Maura she knew and loved.

"Well, I'd known Lydia since I was a young girl. Her mother was best friends with my mother.

"So it wasn't exactly a two-week relationship, like you said." Jane replied, flatly.

"Romantically, yes, it was; but platonically, no," she moved on, quickly. "After the incident in college, I didn't speak to her again. I figured that since my mother and Lydia's mother still talk, that she'd have been the one to start this whole situation. So I drove to Newton and spoke to her myself."

"So, it was Marion?" Jane asked, sounding slightly confused. It was a lot of information to process.

Maura nodded, "Oh yes, it was her alright. She practically admitted it with exclamation," Maura turned to Jane with tears forming in her eyes. "She said some horrible things, Jane."

Jane could see Maura's distress and moved closer to her on the couch. She snaked her arm over Maura's shoulders and behind her neck, allowing her to rest her head on Jane's shoulder. She instantly felt guilty, blaming Maura for something that her scheming mother had done. "I'm sorry, Maur... for everything. I shouldn't have blamed you; I just felt as though everything had been a lie..."

Maura sniffed, "Don't apologise, I understand."

"What happened with Marion?"

Maura laughed in-between sniffling her nose as she remembered, "I slapped her."

Jane sat back slightly, shocked to hear that Maura had participated in physical abuse of some kind. "You did what?"

"I slapped her," Maura repeated, laughing as she looked at the detective. "If you had heard what she was saying, you'd have done much worse." Maura paused for a second. "Look, I'm sorry Jane – for everything. I don't want to fight with you and I certainly don't want to lose you."

Jane's expression remained pensive as she listened to Maura's words. Maura was the love of her life and no matter what happened, she knew that she couldn't lose her. "I don't want to lose you, either, Maura. That is the last thing I would ever want. I still think you should've told me about her, though; but I get why you didn't. Everyone has skeletons they don't want to reveal."

Maura nodded, "Even to the people we love most. I promise from now on," she took Jane's hand, gently running her fingers over the scars that remained, evidence of Jane's own skeletons; "there'll be no more secrets; no matter how irrelevant I think they may be."

Jane nodded, appreciating what Maura had said. Leaning forward slowly, she kissed Maura before pulling her into a tight embrace. "Love you, Maura. You mean everything to me, you know?"

Maura nodded against Jane's shoulder. "I love you too, Jane. I can't wait to officially be your wife."

"You mean the wedding is back on?"

"Of course," she laughed, smiling at her fiancée. "I didn't mean what I said; I was so stressed out and worried about everything being perfect. Wild horses couldn't stop my marrying you."

Jane laughed as she stood up, her arm extending out to Maura, "Wild horses being code for your mother?"

Maura stood, yawning slightly – exhausted from the days activities'. "Yeah, something like that." She stood on her tip-toes to kiss Jane goodnight. "I'm going to bed, I'm exhausted."

Jane nodded, "Alright, babe. I'll be through soon."

Maura turned around and headed towards the bedroom, winking at the detective playfully as she turned in the hallway. Jane watched as the medical examiner walked away. "Goodnight, Angel."

Once she had made sure the blonde was in bed, she pulled her phone from her pocket and texted Frankie. _"Wedding back on. Thanks for everything. You are the best."_

Pushing send on her phone, she started to send another text. This one to both Korsak and Frost.

_"Hey guys – I need a favour..."_


	7. Appropriate Wedding Attire

**AU: I hope you are all enjoying this so far, I'm just finalizing the last few chapters before I post them - so any reviews, comments and/or criticisms you all have would mean a lot to me :) Hope you enjoy! As always, I own nothing.**

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><p>Maura woke up before Jane the next morning. Quietly, she slipped out of bed and got ready for the day. They were both due in the office for nine that morning, and glancing at the clock on her bedside table, she noted that she had a couple of hours before they had to leave yet. Maura had never been one for a lie-in, she always woke up as dawn broke upon the city and the light streamed in through the thin curtains that hung opposite their bed. Making her way into their bathroom, she showered before pimping and preening herself for the day. Slipping into her new Gucci dress, she made her way into the kitchen, putting the coffee maker on and popping two slices of bread into the toaster. As the food cooked and the coffee filtered its way into the wide jug, she opened up the curtains in the living room and opened the window. It looked like it was going to be a lovely, sunny day but there was still quite a breeze blowing outside and the wind howled as it hit the open window. The coffee pot beeped, indicating it had finished boiling, just as the toast popped out of the toaster. She plated the warm bread up and filled two mugs with coffee, just as Jane shuffled her way into the kitchen, still in her pyjamas.<p>

"Mornin'," Jane mumbled roughly; she had never been a morning person. She sat down at the table, hungrily gulping her coffee. Her hair was tousled around her face and on top of her head, and she looked at Maura in awe. She never could understand how Maura managed to look that good, no matter what time of day or night it was.

"What?" Maura was very aware that she was being watched, and she blushed lightly as she saw Jane's face.

Jane shook her head as she returned her mug to the table. "Nothing, you just look so beautiful," she smiled.

Maura smiled as Jane rose from her chair and made her way over to the blonde. "Thanks," she felt Jane's arms wrap around her waist, pulling their bodies together as she playfully kissed the medical examiner's neck. "There's nothing special about this dress, though," she said, her breath hitching slightly due to the detective's roaming hands.

"I wasn't paying much attention to the dress." Jane winked, a sly smile growing across her face.

"Hey!" Maura laughed, playfully smacking Jane's shoulder. "This is a brand new Gucci dress, it was expensive!"

"I bet it was, but still... I think it would look better on the floor," Jane ran her hands down Maura's silhouette slowly, reaching for the zipper at the back of the dress.

Maura stopped Jane's hands in their tracks, kissing her lightly. "We have to be in work in just over an hour," she stopped when she saw Jane's pout. She looked like a five-year old who had just been denied candy whilst in a candy store. She kissed her again, her lips brushing delicately over the taller brunettes'; and Maura was sure she heard Jane whimper as she pulled away and stepped back. "You've got to get ready for work, babe; otherwise we won't ever leave this apartment."

"That's fine with me," Jane started.

"_Jane_," Maura spoke in her authoritative tone. She hated when she was late for work; she had always been punctual – even as a child, and was not going to change now. She glanced at the clock and it already read 7.30am. They had to leave in the next half hour to avoid peak-time traffic.

Jane huffed as she turned and retreated into the bathroom to start getting ready for the day. She put on her usual work attire and brushed her hair through, and followed her usual morning rituals in the bathroom. Appearing twenty-five minutes later, Maura was already stood by the door, her purse hanging off her arm and clock-watching her wristwatch. "Ready?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Jane stood to attention, mockingly. She grabbed her badge, and her gun and clipped them both to her belt, before walking through the door that Maura was already holding open.

"I hope you aren't going to be late to our own wedding," Maura laughed, playfully smacking Jane's ass as she passed her.

"Me? Late?" Jane shook her head, "Never!"

Maura locked the door behind them both, before throwing her keys into her bag and closing the clasp lock with a loud snap. "Good, because I know where you live, detective."

Jane laughed and grasped onto the blonde's hand as they made their way out of their apartment building and down to Maura's car. The Prius beeped as she unlocked it and they climbed in, before moving away from the sidewalk and joining the mid-town traffic.

"Have you decided what you're going to wear for the wedding, Jane?" Maura asked, a little anxiously. She had picked out her dress months in advance, and it was due to be delivered to her office around mid-day. Of course, she hadn't told Jane, because she was sure that if she did, the detective would want to see it immediately. Maura's dress was being couriered from London, made by designer Vivienne Westwood. After spending hours searching through hundreds of shops, Maura had taken to shopping online and as soon as she laid eyes on this particular dress, she knew that it was _the one_.

Priced at $9,875.00 Maura thought it was a bargain for a creation of such elegance and class. The dress was comprised of the finest champagne silk, with a heart-shaped plunging neckline and a white tulle organza underskirt to provide extra volume around the knee, which was where the dress ended. It was expertly fitted and revealed just enough of Maura's figure to drive Jane wild.

Jane shook her head, "No... I've taken the day off work tomorrow to go shopping."

Maura nearly crashed the car when she heard that Jane hadn't even been shopping for her outfit yet. "You've looked already, though... right?"

"No, I said I'm going shopping tomorrow." Jane looked at Maura in disbelief. Surely it couldn't take that long to find something to wear. The wedding dress had been the first thing on Maura's mind when they set the date. She found it hard to believe Jane didn't feel the same way.

"Are you serious? You haven't even looked yet? We're getting married in less than a week! Jane!" Maura felt as though she was going into cardiac arrest.

Jane grabbed Maura's arm, trying to calm her down. She had turned bright red in the face and looked as though she had just run over a deer or something, eyes wide and palms sweating against the wheel of the car. Pulling up to the station, she parked the car and shut off the engine, before turning in her seat and looking Jane square in the eye.

"You seriously haven't even looked? Who are you going with?"

Jane's eyebrow rose; "I was just going to go on my own..."

"What? Please, Jane. Sweetheart. Take someone with you..." Maura was practically begging Jane, now.

"I can pick my outfit on my own, thanks very much!" Jane sat back, her arms crossing her chest in defence.

"I've seen your wardrobe, Jane... and everything is the same. I don't want you wearing black to our wedding..."

"My wardrobe isn't _all_ black; _some_ of it is navy..." Jane laughed, lightly.

"Please, Jane. This is serious!" Usually Maura would find Jane's sense of humour cute, endearing, even, but this was their wedding day and she needed Jane to be serious about it.

"Fine. _Fine!_ I'll see if Korsak can come with me." Jane unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door.

"Great. The man who has been married three times already. I'm sure he knows a_ great_ deal about Vera Wang! That'll be successful..." Maura rolled her eyes as she unbuckled her own seatbelt and stepped out of the car. Both doors closed and she locked the vehicle as she moved around the front of the car to meet Jane. "Why don't you take Angela with you?"

Jane laughed out loud at Maura's suggestion. The last time she had been shopping with her mother, they had spent nearly four hours in the same section of _Bed, Bath and Beyond_ before she had tried to set Jane up with the male cashier named Francois who was clearly batting for his own team, anyway.

"No, Maura. I'd rather take Frost, or even Pop than Ma. You don't know what shopping with Ma is like."

"I think it will be healthy for the two of you – shopping for a wedding is a mother-daughter ritual!" Maura paused at her own words, reminded how badly her relationship with Marion had turned out. Jane noticed the sadness that glazed over her fiancée's face.

"Hey, are you okay?" She moved closer to Maura. Maura nodded slowly, before looking at Jane.

"I just want one of us to have a healthy relationship with our mothers, and I'm glad that it's not Angela we've fallen out with. She's going to be my family now too, and I think it would be good for the two of you to spend this time bonding together. I know I'm not going to get to do this with my mom."

Jane kissed Maura, not caring that they were stood in front of the police department. "Okay, Okay," Maura knew just how to wrap Jane around her little finger. "I'll call mom later and ask if she wants to come with me."

Maura's eyes lit up, and she wrapped her arms around Jane's neck. "Thank you, Jane."

"I do have one rule, though." She stepped back from Maura and started up the department steps.

"What?" Maura followed her.

"I'm not wearing anything frilly, lacy or jewelled."


	8. A Moment To Be Shared

Around lunchtime Maura appeared next to Jane's desk, brandishing a cup of coffee in each hand. Jane didn't notice until the strong aroma drifted past the mound of paperwork, infiltrating her senses.

"Here, I brought this for you," Maura said, placing the coffee cup down besides the paperwork. "I thought you would be in need," she sat down at the edge of the desk, on an old rickety mahogany chair that creaked loudly underneath her slender frame.

Jane nodded gratefully, smiling at the medical examiner. "Thanks, babe." She continued on with the paperwork, scribbling notes here and there followed by an occasional signature.

"So," Maura began. She could see that Jane was busy, but the fact that she hadn't even started to get her outfit in order was bothering Maura like an irritating mosquito.

"So," Jane repeated, still not looking up from her desk.

"I was just wondering..." the medical examiner's voice as tentative; afraid she might cause another argument. She watched as Jane shuffled a few folders about before putting them in a neat pile on the other side of her desk, before sipping her coffee.

"Not yet," Jane answered, pre-emptively. The truth was, Jane had deliberately buried herself in her paperwork so she wouldn't have to call her mother. She hated shopping anyway; how anyone could have any fun dragging themselves around hot, busy stores filled with screaming infants and frustrated mothers was beyond her. Jane couldn't think of anything she detested more.

"You can't keep-" Maura was interrupted by the loud ring of her cell phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and read the message, telling her that her dress should be delivered within the next fifteen-or-so minutes, forgetting that she was actually supposed to be participating in a conversation with Jane. A smile appeared across her face at the thought of unwrapping the box and unfolding the tissue lining. Maura was the total opposite of Jane when it came to shopping; it was one of the only things they clashed upon.

"What?" Jane asked, seeing Maura's face change.

Maura shook her head, standing up. "Nothing, but I've got to go."

"Maura? Who was that?" Her eyes followed Maura as she moved across the office and towards the door.

"Just something I'm expecting. I'll come back later, love you!" Maura had practically made it half way down the stairs as she yelled back to Jane in the office, who was sitting perplexed at her desk. She didn't want to reveal anything; Jane didn't even know what type of dress she was wearing, never mind the designer. Maura raced down the stairs to her office as fast as she could in her Louboutin heels, and had not been there more than a couple of minutes than when one of the guys on duty in reception brought a huge box through to the morgue.

"Thanks, Jim," she smiled, nearly jumping in excitement as he set the box down in front of her.

"You're welcome," he turned, and went to leave the office.

"Please don't tell Jane about this. I want it to be a surprise," she said as he turned around the doorframe.

He winked back at her, "You bet."

Her fingers traced the edge of the white box sitting before her, tracing over the letters on the box, the gold 'Vivienne Westwood' monogram embossed into the centre of the lid. Looking up, she saw her door wide open, the ceiling-high windows revealing her surprise. She looked out of her office, checking the corridor for Jane, and seeing it was empty; she grabbed the box and made her way to the car. She texted her assistant, telling him that she would be back shortly and drove back to her apartment. Maura knew she would have to hide the box somewhere clever; Jane was an expert at accidentally finding things she wasn't meant to.

Inside their apartment, Maura walked back and forth, looking for obscure places to hide the box. She debated the idea of on top of their wardrobes, and under their bed. And even in their cleaning cupboard. The one place that Jane dared not to tread was Maura's shoe closet. The detective always said it was a bit creepy, all of Maura's shoes arranged by designer, and colour, and finally heel size. Jane also hated the way she stored all of the boxes they came in, stacked neatly on the floor opposite the shoes themselves. Maura eyed up the boxes, glancing back at the box containing her wedding dress and the boxes from her shoes. It would fit perfectly in there, and Jane certainly wouldn't find it. It would stay there for four days, until the night before their wedding, when she could hang it up and steam the creases out of it – Jane was staying at Angela and Frank's house that night and hanging out with her family. Kind of like a bachelorette party, but with more beer than Maura cared to imagine.

Opening the box felt like Christmas day to Maura. She folded back the tissue paper delicately, just as if she were folding back the skin from a 'Y' incision that she made daily on a fresh corpse. She expertly extracted the dress in a swift movement, holding it up in front of her dilated eyes. The dress was not just as she imagined it to be, it was better. Holding it in front of her, she moved in front of a mirror so she could take in the full view. As her eyes ran up and down the silk garment, she felt herself begin to tear up. Not just for herself, she knew that Jane was going to adore it, but for the loss she felt at not having someone there to share the moment with.

Other than Jane, the one person Maura wanted there with her right now was just on the other end of the phone. Neatly laying the dress down, she picked up the cordless handset from the bedside table, and dialled a number. Ten minutes later, she heard a knock at the door. Eagerly, she almost skipped down the laminate floor, throwing the door open and feeling a pair of arms wrap around her neck tightly.

"I'm so glad you called me, Maura!" Angela hugged Maura tightly, thrilled to be the first person to see Maura's wedding dress. Growing up, Jane had always admonished wedding dresses (and often dresses in general...) and so Angela had wiped the thought from her mind of going dress shopping with her daughter. Now she got to experience something similar with her future daughter-in-law.

"I just want somebody else to see it, so I know it looks okay. And I can hardly ask Jane," Maura said, shutting the door behind Angela, who nodded in agreement.

"Of course not! She can't see the dress before the big day! Go, now," she shooed Maura with over-exaggerated hand movements. "Let me see!"

Maura nodded and ran back to the bedroom, where she unzipped the dress and stepped in to it, before slipping her feet into the champagne Jimmy Choo heels she had bought not long after she and Jane had gotten engaged. She ran her hands up and down the dress as she looked at herself in the mirror. It fit perfectly, and hugged her curves in all of the right places. The fact the dress was knee-length complimented her choice of high heels which elongated her petite legs. She smiled a little at the thought of Jane's face as she walked down the aisle towards her.

"Sweetie," Angela called through from the couch. "Are you okay in there?"

Maura turned towards the door, gulping a little before leaving the room. She knew the dress was absolutely beautiful, but a little reassurance was needed – this was, after all, the outfit she would be wearing on the happiest day of her life – and in front of all her family and friends. Angela's head was already craning from her neck to get first sight of Maura, and she emitted a high-pitched squeal and leapt to her feet as soon as she laid eyes on the medical examiner. Maura couldn't help but laugh nervously as she saw Angela's reaction.

"Do you like it?" Maura said, twirling for Angela to give the full effect of the dress.

"You look absolutely stunning," Angela said, her hands cupping over her mouth and her eyes practically brimming with tears. The tall Italian sighed and tutted lovingly, the way Maura had heard people coo over wedding dresses and cute babies in the past, before holding her arms out her. "You are beautiful," she whispered into the embrace, holding her as if she were her own daughter.

When Maura was finally released from her vice-like grip, she looked at Angela, before looking back down at the dress. "Do you think Jane will like it?"

"I think Jane may faint when she sees you in this," Angela laughed. "Hey," she continued, in a hushed tone. "Is Janie's outfit here? I want to get a sneak peak of what to expect."

Maura shook her head. "No, it's not here. She hasn't bought one yet." She could practically hear the cogs turning in Angela's head, working out the timeframe to the wedding and trying to figure out why her daughter was such a procrastinator.

"But there's not even a week left until the wedding!" Angela looked shocked, and pulled her cell out of her pocket, dialling her daughters' number.

"I know – I've told her that already," she could see what Angela was doing, "I'm going to get changed."

Angela nodded as she listened to the dialling tone run through Jane's number. When the phone clicked and Jane's voice floated through the ether, Angela's tone stiffened. "Jane Angela Rizzoli," she began. Jane practically sighed down the phone.

"Hey Ma," she said, rushed.

"When can you get off work?" Angela glanced at her watch, checking the time. They still had time to make it before the shops closed for the day.

"What?"

"Can you leave work early today?" Angela wasn't explaining clearly and Jane started to panic, thinking something bad had happened.

"Why? What's happened?" The detective was beginning to sound frantic.

"Nothing's happened. And I mean, _nothing_ has happened; but we're about to change that."

"Ma, you aren't making any sense. What are you talking about?" Jane asked, frustrated.

"You haven't got anything to get married in on Saturday!"

Jane sighed, her hand cradled in her head. "You've been talking to Maura."

"Of course I have; she's going to be my daughter-in-law, and this is going to be one of the most important days of your lives! You have to be prepared, Janie."

"I know, I know. I've just... things have been hectic. I got it covered, don't worry."

Angela picked up her bag, rummaging for her keys as she balanced the phone between her shoulder and her ear. "Yes, you will have it covered, because _I _have it covered now! I'll meet you at the precinct in half an hour. Be out front." Angela didn't give her daughter any time to protest, hanging up the phone immediately. Maura appeared from the bedroom just as Angela put the phone back into her bag. Angela walked up towards her and hugged her, kissing her on her cheek. "Don't worry about a thing, I'll make sure she has an outfit by the end of today," she winked at Maura as she opened the door.

"Thanks Angela," Maura nodded at her appreciatively.

"It's mom to you now, don't forget."

Maura nodded with a laugh, shuffling her feet nervously. "Thank you, mom."

"No problem. If you need anything else, just call me. And Maura," she paused, looking at her. "That dress is stunning. Absolutely breathtaking! You looked amazing; you have nothing to worry about."

Maura watched as the door shut, and she picked up her bag to head back to the office. Deciding to give Angela a head start, so not to run in to Jane, she pulled out her phone to send the detective a text. '_Hey babe, Sorry for running out on you earlier; but you'll understand why soon enough. I love you so much – I can't wait for Saturday ;) xo_'


	9. Pin The Tail On The Bride

**AU:** So sorry for the long delay! I was having some serious writers' block and university kicked up and just ... blah! So here is the next chapter, hope you all enjoy it :)

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><p>That Friday, as Jane was finishing up with the final paperwork for the week, Maura appeared at the door of the squad room. Jane had noticed that Maura was becoming more emotional as the wedding was drawing nearer, and preparations were being finalized. Slipping into her jacket and turning off her computer monitor, she turned to look at the blonde who had tears brimming in her eyes. Maura moved towards Jane quickly, wrapping her arms around Jane's long torso, burying her head into the detective's chest.<p>

"Hey," Jane spoke softly, her voice laced with concern as she wrapped her arms around Maura's shoulders, holding her close. Maura breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of Jane's perfume.

"I'm going to miss you," Maura said, her words trembling under her breath.

Jane let go of Maura and sat down on her chair, pulling Maura onto her lap, both for comfort and closeness.

"It's only for one night, and I will see you tomorrow, obviously," Jane joked, her hand rising towards Maura's face, lifting her chin. She could see tears escaping Maura's eyes slowly, and wiped them away tenderly with her hand. "This time tomorrow, I'll be your wife, forever," Jane smiled at Maura, before the blonde leant down to Jane, kissing her longingly.

It was unusual for Maura not to see the rational side of things, and it had taken Jane by surprise.

"I know, I know. It's just..." Maura paused, briefly, "I hate being away from you."

"I'm only going to Ma's. I'll be there with Frankie, and Pop, Korsak and Frost – as well as Ma herself. So it's not like I'm going to be far away – you can always call me and I'll come straight home if you need me."

Maura shook her head, "No, I shouldn't see you until tomorrow. It's tradition."

Jane laughed, "Okay, okay," Her hands ran reassuringly up and down the length of Maura's back before her eyes caught the time from the clock hung on the wall. "I'd better get going," Jane said, prompting Maura to relinquish her lap. Maura nodded before standing slightly on her tip-toes to kiss the detective, more feverishly this time.

The detective moaned at the touch of the medical examiner, further deepening the kiss.

"C'mon guys, get a room!" Frost exclaimed as he and Korsak entered the squad room.

"Or at least save it until tomorrow night," Korsak jibed as he winked mischievously at Jane.

"Shut it, Korsak. You're just jealous that my soon-to-be wife is sexy as _hell_." Jane reiterated her statement by lowering her hands from Maura's sides and laying them firmly on her ass; causing Maura to blush.

"No denying that," Korsak shrugged, before leaving the office. His voice echoed down the hallway, "C'mon, Rizzoli! We're gonna be late!"

"See ya tomorrow, Doc," Frost waved as he followed Korsak. Jane looked up and watched as the two men left the squad room, leaving Maura and herself alone.

"They're right, you know how Angela gets when you're late for dinner," Maura stepped back, before straightening her pencil skirt and her jacket.

"The night before her only daughter's wedding? Nah, she'll be harmless." Her arm guided its way around Maura's waist as they walked out of the bullpen, and headed out of the PD building. As they opened the front door and stepped out onto the concrete, the sun was just beginning to set as dark clouds were rolling in across the horizon. A chill breeze swept through the city, causing the blonde to shiver involuntarily. Jane slipped her jacket off and wrapped it around Maura's shoulders, kissing her lightly as she pulled the collar of the blazer together for added protection from the weather.

Maura moved closer to Jane, thankful for the jacket. "Next time I see you, I'll be walking down the aisle."

"You nervous?" Jane asked.

Maura shook her head adamantly, "Not at all. I'm about to marry the woman I love. I've never been more certain about anything before in my entire life."

Jane smiled as she wrapped her arms around the blonde once more. "Me neither."

Maura kissed the detective once more before stepping back and turning to head down the steps, towards Barry and Vince. "I'll see you in the morning, then."

Jane nodded as she followed Maura, "Bright and early. I love you."

"I love you too," Maura called towards Jane before turning and heading back towards her car. Pressing the button on the fob, the cars' lights flashed and she opened the door and stepped inside. She was parked not far away from Jane's car, and could see that Barry had been relegated to the backseat by Vince, and Jane was trying to break up what Maura imagined was some petty squabble over who got to ride shotgun. She laughed to herself as she turned on the ignition and checked her mirrors before getting ready to pull away from the sidewalk. She caught Jane's eye, and waved at the detective slowly through and couldn't help but laugh when she saw all three of them blowing dramatic kisses back at her.

The engine roared as she moved away from her parked position and headed towards their apartment. Maura had decided not to do anything special tonight but she had invited a few of her colleagues from the morgue for a couple of glasses of wine and some nice conversation – a stark contrast from what she imagined would be going on at the Rizzoli household. She had already picked up a few bottles of her favourite merlot and left them out to acclimate to room temperature before she had left for work that morning. Pulling into her parking space, she got out of her car and made her way inside. Her guests weren't due to arrive for another half an hour, which gave her the time she needed to prepare. Sliding the key into the lock, she made her way indoors and headed for the bedroom, where she proceeded to change. Once satisfied with her appearance, she headed into the kitchen and set out the food on the counter; various canapés and finger foods, as well as some chips and dips. Opening up the first bottle of merlot, she poured herself half a glass and settled back into a chair.

Sipping the wine slowly, she felt the warming liquid run down her throat and permeate her insides as it travelled down her digestive system. The apartment was quiet without Jane; Jo Friday was at Angela's and Bass wasn't the noisiest of animals. Cards had begun arriving for Jane and Maura and they were displayed along the various table tops around the apartment. Her stomach felt like it contained a thousand butterflies as she thought about the wedding. There had been so much planning, so many bumps in the road and now here she was, the day before. Her skin prickled with anticipation as she sipped some more of her wine, nearly jumping out of her seat when she heard the doorbell. As she opened the door, she was greeted by four of her colleagues and hugged them all as they entered her apartment.

"Sorry we're late," Rachael said as she handed Maura a gift bag,"Traffic was really heavy."

Maura shrugged, "Don't worry about it. It meant I had more time to finish getting ready," she laughed nervously.

"So, how are you feeling?" Ryan asked, as he closed the door behind him. "Last few hours of freedom, as they say," he jibed, elbowing Maura gently with a wink.

Maura moved towards their coffee table, placing the gift bags down. "I've been experiencing mild resting tremors and slight arrhythmia..."

Cho cut her off before she could say anything else, "You're nervous." He always had been straight to the point.

Maura blushed and nodded, "Yes, I'm nervous."

"That's completely normal; everyone experiences those symptoms before their wedding day," Vivian walked towards Maura, "Just think of the end result; you and Jane, married. Forever."

A smile crept across Maura's face at the mention of Jane's name, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"See? That's already better. Now, where is the wine?" Vivian laughed as she headed towards the kitchen. Ryan, Rachael and Cho followed as the doorbell rang.

"Just help yourself. There's some beer in the fridge, too." Maura headed towards the door, opening it and nearly slamming it shut when she identified who was standing before her.

"Please, Maura; Wait!" A hand pushed against the door violently, preventing Maura from shutting it completely. "Please, hear me out."

Maura spoke from behind the door, "Give me one good reason why I should waste one second of my time on you."

"I didn't have any clue as to what Marion was up to, I swear. She told me that you had given her the invitation because you'd lost my address and you wanted me to come to your wedding – which, I do admit was a little strange, considering – but I had no idea what Marion was doing!"

Maura knew how much trouble Lydia had caused; how much grief and heartache both she and Jane had been through; but she knew it wasn't entirely Lydia's fault. The last conversation with her mother had confirmed that Lydia's invitation was all Marion's doing – and she couldn't blame everything on Lydia. She opened the door and was suddenly face-to-face with the taller woman.

"I really am sorry, Maura. I just came to apologize to you and to Jane," Lydia presented a large gift bag to Maura, "I'm not staying, I just wanted to give this to you and wish you all best for tomorrow and the rest of your lives together. Really," Lydia nodded as she handed the bag over.

"Jane's not here right now, but thank you. I know what my mother has done, and we're moving on from that. From _her_."

Lydia smiled sympathetically, "That's probably for the best. Anyway, I will leave you to your night. Congratulations again, for tomorrow."

Maura nodded, "Thank you, Lydia." She watched as the auburn-haired woman made her way down the corridor and out of the building, before shutting the door and placing the gift bag with the others. She made her way over to her guests who were comparing their latest scientific theories and poured herself a glass of wine, which she finished promptly before setting the glass down.

"Whoa - are you alright?" Ryan asked, noting the change in Maura's mood.

Maura nodded, "Yes, I'm fine."

Rachael started to rummage in her bag until she found what she was looking for. Moving quickly towards Maura before she could see what was in her hands, Maura felt something being pressed onto her head, followed by a tickle of rough material scratching against her neck. Moving towards the mirror she could see she was now adorning a plastic diamante tiara emblazing the words 'bride-to-be' across the top of it, and a makeshift veil hanging down the back. She couldn't help but laugh at herself; she had seen this sort of thing happen in movies but had never witnessed it before. All of the tiaras she had worn in her life had been filled with Swarovski crystals.

"Well, well... don't you look a picture," Ryan laughed. As Maura turned around he snapped a photo of the medical examiner, catching her off guard.

"You can delete that right now," Maura said, reaching for his cell phone.

"Nu-uh... relax. It's your bachelorette party!"

"It was meant to be a quiet night in," Maura mused. She lifted her glass of wine, which Cho had already refilled.

"Not with us around," Cho quickly chimed in as he passed glasses around. "To Maura and Jane," he toasted, raising his glass in the air. He was quickly joined by everyone else. Maura blushed lightly.

"Thank you for coming."

"We wouldn't have missed it for the world," Vivian smiled, before throwing most of the contents of her glass down her neck. "Now, who's for pin the tail on the bride? Mouths only..."

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><p><strong>As always, please read and review? I'd like some constructive criticism to make sure it's still okay?<strong>


	10. A Few Fun Additions

AU: Okay, so here's chapter 10. I'd just like to say that I know we've met Maura's mother on the show, but I'm keeping her as Marion on here for continuity, and the wedding _is_ coming up, I promise you.

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><p>As Jane pulled up to Angela's house, her mouth dropped open in shock. She knew her mother was excited about tonight, but this was overboard – even for Angela. Banners and streamers lined the front porch, balloons were tied to the front door – and this was just the exterior. Jane shuddered at the thought of what the inside of the house looked like. She cradled her head against the steering wheel, and Frost patted her on the back sympathetically. Korsak unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car as the front door to the house opened and an enthusiastic Angela stepped out onto the porch.<p>

"Jane!" Angela practically ran to the car, opening the drivers' door, as if Jane needed assistance stepping out of the car, "I'm so glad you're here!" Her hands waved towards Jane, indicating she should get out of the car. "This is going to be such a fun night!"

Jane got out of the car begrudgingly, followed by Frost. "Hey, ma."

"Do you like it?" Angela asked, pointing to the house.

Jane grinned through her teeth and nodded, "Looks like you went all out."

Angela shrugged as she wrapped an arm around her daughter, guiding her towards the house as if she were a child. "Well it's not like I'm going to be able to throw another bachelorette party, is it?"

Frankie appeared in the doorway upon hearing his mothers' voice. "Wait 'til you see what she's got inside for you," he smirked.

Jane rolled her eyes and smiled at her mother, in the usual routine she'd perfected throughout her teenage years. As Jane walked into the house, she found herself surrounded by family and friends, and also a few colleagues from the station. She certainly hadn't expected so many people to be there, and suddenly found herself feeling slightly intimidated by the overwhelming atmosphere. After a few introductions and hugs here and there, Jane sat down on the couch next to Frost, and Korsak came over with three beers.

"Some turnout," he said, sitting on the arm of the sofa next to Jane.

"Ma always does like to give everything 110%;" Jane laughed, swigging from the neck of her beer bottle. "I should've seen this coming."

Frost shrugged, "I think it's great, that you have all of these people – your friends and family, all here to celebrate with you."

Jane was about to respond when the sound of clapping came from the direction of the kitchen. Angela crossed the threshold into the lounge and silence filled the room. "I'd just like to thank you all for coming to help us celebrate my daughter's bachelorette party. You're all welcome to help yourselves to any food or drink you want; have fun!" Angela smiled as she walked towards Jane.

"Ma, what part of only four or five people did you not understand?" Jane murmured under her voice.

Korsak and Frost stood up quickly, not wanting to be involved in any of the drama that was surely about to ensue. "We'll... uh, go and get some drinks."

Angela filled the seat Frost had left vacant. "You have to have a proper celebration – you only get married once!"

"Jane! I think you should come and look at these!" Frost called through from the kitchen. The sound of Korsak's voice could be heard roaring through the kitchen, as Frankie yelled in chorus, "I told you so!"

Jane stood up, wary of what she was about to see. As she made her way through the kitchen, she could see banners emblazoned with pictures of herself and Maura, and napkins of the same nature. There was a red 'L' plate on the table, which Jane swore to herself she wouldn't be wearing; and amongst the glasses and bottles of alcohol that lined the kitchen were straws. Nude-coloured straws...each with a pair of breasts on.

"Wow. Stay classy, Mom," Jane almost sighed. She had just wanted a quiet night with some of her closest friends, not a huge party and a big fuss. She expected that to all happen tomorrow.

"Well... Sofia Liatos said that every good bachelorette party needed a few fun..._additions_." Angela shrugged. Frankie, Korsak and Frost just stood about laughing at Jane's face, which had quickly adopted a shade of scarlet.

"I think you need to stop spending so much time with Sofia Liatos, Ma." Jane stepped forward and picked up one of the straws for further inspection. "_Really_?"

"Well, they _are_ what you're into," Frankie teased.

"Don't be embarrassed, Jane. It's just a joke," Frost stepped in, trying to ease the tension.

"You are marrying Dr Isles tomorrow, and she has boobs. A mighty fine pair, if you ask me..." Korsak joined in.

Jane narrowed her eyes and shot Korsak a look that could kill. "Good God, Korsak. Could you please stop ogling my wife?"

"Now, now, Jane. Don't be so tetchy. Lighten up – it's just a bit of fun!" Korsak grabbed a beer from the side and moved back into the living room with Frost and Frankie; joining Frank on the sofa who was now watching the game on TV.

She placed the straw down on top of the counter and swigged the rest of her beer. The room had suddenly cleared and she was left with Angela, who was repositioning the plates and glasses on the table. "Can I get you something?"

Jane shook her head as she sat down on a stool besides the kitchen counter. "I don't really feel like eating right now."

"Are you nervous? Because you know, that's perfectly normal before your wedding day," Angela walked towards Jane, wrapping her arms around the detective and squeezing onto her tight. It was not often Angela had the chance to hug her fiercely independent daughter, so when the opportunity presented itself she grabbed onto it with both hands.

Jane shook her head, she wasn't nervous about marrying Maura; that was the easy part. All of the other possibilities for disaster were circling in her head like sharks waiting to attack their prey. First, there was her prospective mother-in-law, Marion. The likelihood of her turning up was actually pretty high, no matter how much Maura denied this. Marion had been told in no uncertain terms that she was not to show up; however, knowing how much she liked to stir things up and cause drama, Jane was willing to place a high bet on the fact that she would be there. Then, there was Lydia. Maura had explained to Jane that it was Marion who put Lydia up to all of her nasty tricks, but she couldn't shake the feeling this wasn't entirely true. Who wouldn't want to marry Maura Isles? The medical examiner was everything Jane could've wished for in a wife; beautiful, smart, funny – to name but a few of her qualities; and yes, Maura had chosen Jane over the million other people she could've had. This was one of the key things that still ran through Jane's mind – she didn't come from the same wealthy background as Maura. The Rizzoli's weren't rich; they weren't descendents of the Brahmin's. Never in her entire life did she have even a quarter of Maura's bank balance, and she didn't expect to ever have it; she wasn't able to provide the kind of lifestyle Maura was accustomed to – and she was perpetually worried that one day, Maura would realise this and leave her for someone just like Lydia.

"Jane? Are you okay?" Angela had lowered herself to be at her daughters' eye-level. She seemed to be staring off into space, and Angela was becoming concerned. She waved her hands in front of Jane's face until her eyes blinked and she refocused them upon her mother.

"Sorry, I got a bit distracted. What were you saying?"

Angela straightened up and stepped back, "I was saying that it's perfectly normal to have the wedding day jitters; I had them when I was marrying your father. It was such a long, busy period of time preparing for the wedding that by the time the day finally arrived I was a bundle of nerves. I couldn't stop walking around the house, back and forth, back and forth –"

"Ma," Jane interjected. Once her mother got onto a rant about something, it was pretty hard to get her to stop talking. "I'm okay, honest." There was no way in hell that she was going to confide in her mother about her own insecurities – she'd never live it down. She jumped off the stool and kissed her mother on the cheek, "I'm going to make a call."

Opening the back door, she stepped out onto the porch. There was a slight breeze, enough to give her goose bumps, but nothing major. She sat down on the swing bench and pulled out her cell. Maura had been on speed-dial ever since she had met her, and it only took one push of the button for the line to connect and dial out. After five or six rings, the phone answered but it wasn't Maura's voice speaking to Jane.

"Hell-o! This is Maura's phone but this isn't Maura!" The slurs of a drunken woman hollered down the phone, loud enough for Jane to pull the phone away from her ear and make sure she had pushed the right button on her phone.

"Who is this?" Jane frowned, not recognizing the voice.

"This is Rachael – who is this?"

Jane practically rolled her eyes; this could go on for a _very_ long time. "Jane. Can I speak to Maura, please?"

"Jane?" The sounds of laughter and whispering could be heard from the other end of the phone call. "Jane! Hi Jane! You're getting married in the morning!" Before Jane had time to reply, a chorus of voices began loudly singing the classic from '_My Fair Lady'_.

"Is Maura there?" Jane was practically shouting to be heard over the phone.

"Yes, she's here. But should you be speaking to her, the night before your wedding?" Another voice came on the line, deeper and definitely male.

Jane clenched her jaw, getting more agitated by the fact that everyone else was having a great time besides herself; when this was meant to be her bachelorette party. _Shouldn't I be having some kind of a good time tonight?_ "Get Maura to the phone, please."

"Maura! Phone!" Cho shouted loudly; there was a scuffle of interference as the phone was passed around, before Maura's voice came through the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mau. Are you okay? Sounds lively over there."

"Yes, I'm okay – there are several bottles of wine which are not, however," Maura laughed down the phone. She was definitely past the stage of tipsy and was halfway to drunk at this point.

Jane smiled to herself, she loved the sound of Maura's laugh; it was one of the things that was able to cheer her up whenever she was disgruntled, sad or upset. "Good. Well I'm glad you're having a good time. I should let you go back to the party."

"Jane, what's wrong?"

Whether she was drunk or not, Maura was always able to pick up when something was troubling people. She had always had quite an empathetic nature, especially when it came to Jane.

"Nothing's wrong. I just needed some air and figured I'd call and see how you are."

"I miss you too."

"You always know," Jane said, quietly.

"Well, that's because I'm a genius," Maura laughed.

"You are sure you want to marry me?"

"Of course I do, Jane. Have I given you any reason to think otherwise?" Jane could hear the chatter and laughter in the background grow quiet, indicating Maura had moved into another room.

Jane shook her head, as if Maura could see what she was doing, and rubbed her hand along her temple. "No, I just want you to be sure you know what you're marrying into tomorrow."

"What do you mean? I know all of your family, and love them as if they were my own. I've been told on countless occasions by Angela and Frank that I'm their daughter, which would indicate that they love me, too." Maura was beginning to ramble, but whether that was due to panic or the alcohol, Jane couldn't tell.

"No, Maura; I don't mean that."

"Then I'm confused. What _do_ you mean?"

Jane stood up, and began to walk along the decking – much like her mother had described to her before. Back and forth, back and forth. "I mean," Jane paused, trying to find the right words to vocalize her feelings. "I mean, I'm not wealthy – and I'm not a part of any elite circles. I live on a month-to-month basis, Maura."

"And?" Maura answered, blankly. Jane could've sworn she heard Maura shrug.

"And, I'm not able to buy even one of your favourite dresses for you. I would have to save for months to be able to afford something like that. Never mind fancy pairs of shoes like the Louboutin's you love to wear. I'm not able to provide any of that for you."

"I'm not marrying you for what you can provide for me, Jane –"

Jane cut Maura off mid-sentence. "That's a good thing, then."

"What I mean is – I'm marrying you because I love you; because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I didn't expect to fall in love with you, but I did. I want to fall asleep in your arms and wake up with mine around you. I can't imagine living without you – and don't want to ever experience that."

Jane ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "You're sure? Absolutely sure?"

"Jane, trust me. It's you that I want."

"Even at the cost of your own mother?" Jane looked behind her as she heard the door open, and watched as her father came out onto the porch.

"I'm going to marry you tomorrow, Jane. The only mother I want or need in my life is Angela." The sound of Maura's friends could be heard calling her in the background. "Trust me, Jane. There is nobody else I would rather spend my life with – you're everything to me. I love you."

"I love you, too. Thanks, Maura." Jane made her way back to the swing bench, sitting down besides her father. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yes, you will. Try and enjoy yourself tonight, Angela may get a little crazy sometimes, but she only does it because she loves you."

Jane laughed, "I'll try my best but no promises."

"Goodnight, honey."

"Night, baby." Jane flipped her cell shut and slipped the phone back into the holder on her belt.

"Everything okay?" Frank asked, wrapping one arm around his only daughters' shoulders.

Jane nodded and smiled at her father, "It is now, pop. Just nerves."

"Understandable. It's going to be one of the biggest days of your life – if you weren't nervous, I'd be worried."

"Ma told me it was pretty normal, too. She said she was the same when it was her wedding day."

Frank nodded, a smile creeping onto his face. "Your mother was a bag of nerves, couldn't stop talking. In fact, she hasn't been able to stop since."

Jane laughed out loud, nodding in agreement. "You're right about that. Have you seen what she's bought for the party?"

Frank shrugged, "You know how she is. Always goes over-the-top. She just wants to help make your day more memorable."

"Well, she's certainly done that. I don't think Korsak will ever let me live those straws down." Her hand rose over her face, where a pink blush was beginning to tinge her cheeks again.

"You know, I just wanted to come and talk to you for a minute in the quiet. A bit of father-daughter time."

"What's up, pop?" Jane crossed her leg underneath her, shifting on the bench to look at her dad face-on.

"I'm so proud of you, Janie. I don't tell you often enough, but I couldn't have asked for a better daughter. I know how lucky I am to be able to tell people that I'm your father, and I wouldn't change a thing about you."

Jane smiled at her father, as she reached out her hand and laid it atop of his, squeezing it gently. "Look at you, getting all sentimental on me." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on his cheek, before wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you, pop. Thank you for being so great – especially about Maura."

"All I've ever wanted is for you to be safe and happy, and loved. And Maura is all three of those things. She loves you, and I've never seen you smile as big as you do whenever she is around; and she keeps an eye on you at work. She's like the perfect woman," he laughed.

"Maura's definitely that," Jane smiled, glancing at the ring on her finger.

Frank shivered. It was getting late and dark outside; the night winds picking up. "We'd better get going inside, your mother will be wondering where we've gone."

Jane looked through the kitchen window; she could see Angela thrusting plates of food at Korsak and Frost, who were accepting gratefully. "I could use another beer."

They left the porch and made their way back into the house, where most of the guests were eating and chatting quietly, at least until Angela spotted them re-entering. "There you are! I was wondering where you'd gone. Come, eat! You're going to need all your energy for tomorrow."

Jane happily accepted a plate of food and grabbed a beer off the table, before kissing Angela on the cheek.

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><p>Reviews, good or bad, make my life :)<p> 


	11. The Morning After

Maura awoke early the next morning to find that she had slept on the couch. A few empty bottles lay strewn across the floor close to her feet, and Rachael, Vivian and Cho were huddled up across the living room floor. She looked around the room, eyes bleary with sleep and tried to sit upright. As her body began to adjust to her sitting upright, her head began to violently throb, her hand rushing up and her eyes closing in pain. Dreading to think about how much she drank the night before, she stood up and made her way into the bathroom, filling up a tumbler with cold water and dropping two advil into the glass. Maura watched the effervescent bubbles rise and fill the glass as her brain began to slowly work and she realised what day it was. Her eyes widened in shock and she looked at the watch on her wrist, which displayed the time as 07.30AM. "Shit!"

The sound of her voice resonated through the apartment, waking the three sleeping bodies in the living room.

"What's wrong?" Vivian asked as she sat up.

Maura came out of the bathroom and ran into the living room. "It's 7.30! We're going to be late!"

"Shit. How much wine did we drink last night?" Rachael rubbed her head as she sat up.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Cho bolted upright and ran for the bathroom, his hand covering his mouth in an attempt to not throw up over Maura's expensive furniture.

"You can say that again," Maura panted heavily, trying to regulate her breathing to stop hyperventilation.

"It's going to be okay. There's plenty of time – we'll be fine," Vivian stood up, making her way towards Maura. Her arm reached out to try and soothe the medical examiner.

"The stylist will be here at 8.15, and the cars will be arriving at 9.15 and...and –"

"We shouldn't have had those last two bottles of wine," Rachael groaned as she sat down on the couch, resting her head in her hands. "Hangover central."

Cho returned from the bathroom, his face pale and sat besides Rachael on the couch.

"Right," Vivan said, taking charge of the situation. "You," she pointed at Maura. "Shower." "I'm going to put a pot of coffee on, and then we'll sort everything out," She braced Maura by the shoulders and frog-marched her towards the bathroom. "Okay? Trust me. It'll be fine."

Maura nodded and smiled as she turned into the bathroom, locking the door behind her and turning the shower on. Vivian started on the pot of coffee as the doorbell rang. Rachael stood up to answer it and opened it to find the courier delivering Maura's flowers. She signed for the delivery and brought the bouquets into the living room. Maura's bouquet was made up of roses and lilies; a mixture of ivory and apricot flowers to match the champagne colour of her dress. Vivian and Rachael had a small mixture of apricot lilies and Cho had a cream-coloured rose to put into the button-hole of his suit. Since Maura had no biological family attending, she had picked Vivian and Rachael to be her bridesmaids and Cho was going to walk her down the aisle.

Maura stepped out of the shower and sat down on the side of the bathtub. She rested her head in her hands and tried to stop her stomach from doing somersaults. She was beginning to regret her choice of location for the wedding. It was the one thing that Jane said Maura should pick, having been in some of Boston's finer establishments – _I know you'll pick a better place for us to get married than I will, babe. You should choose the location._ Maura hadn't accounted of being hung-over on the morning of her wedding when she had taken their wedding venue into consideration. Instead she had called up one of her old friends from college, Simon, who she knew had a yacht docked at the marina. The yacht could hold up to 350 people which was ample for their guest list, and he had agreed almost instantly. They had settled on a price, and that was that. Except now, she was already feeling sea-sick and she hadn't yet left her bathroom.

A couple of minutes later, a knock on the bathroom startled Maura and she opened the door and crept her head around the side of it, only to see Cho standing there with a cup of coffee and her cell phone. "Angela's on the phone, do you want to speak to her?"

Maura nodded and took the phone and the coffee with thanks, before closing the door behind her again. She sipped the coffee and felt the dark liquid making its way through her body. "Hello?"

"Maura? Hey! How are you?" Angela's voice was way too cheery for Maura's liking.

"I'm not feeling too great, if I'm honest with you," Maura said, sipping some more of the coffee and saying a silent prayer to whichever God was listening.

"Nervous? Jane is too, even though she won't admit it. I was just calling to see how you were."

"I've just gotten out of the shower, and I certainly feel like I'm about to vomit," Maura said, leaving the question open. She didn't want to be the one to piss Angela off by telling her that she was about to marry her daughter with a tremendous hang-over.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. You're going to look stunning in that dress of yours. I'll see you later, okay."

"Bye, Angela," Maura started.

"Mom, remember? Mom!"

Maura laughed down the phone, and she could hear Jane in the background apologizing profusely for her mother's behaviour. "Sorry. Bye, Mom." She placed the phone on top of the laundry basket and splashed her face with water, before finishing her coffee and brushing her teeth. She made her way out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, changing her underwear and putting some pajamas on. Just as she made her way out into the living room, the doorbell rang and Cho walked the hair stylist into the living room. Vivian ducked out of the room to take a shower, with Rachael declaring that she would be next and Cho should be last as men should only take 'ten minutes tops' in the shower.

Maura had insisted that she would do her own hair and make-up, but Angela was having none of it and offered to pay for the stylist to arrive at her apartment. _No daughter-in-law_ _of mine is going to spend the morning of her wedding worrying about what she looks like. _Both Maura and Jane had rolled their eyes and agreed with Angela for arguments' sake, deciding it was better to not argue with her when she had her mind fixed on something. Maura had decided on a half-up, half-down hairstyle, loose curls framing her face slightly with the most of her hair swept back and pinned back into place. It took about twenty-five minutes to complete, by which time both girls had showered and Cho was just turning the water on in the bathroom. The stylist stepped back and Maura checked her hair in the mirror to make sure everything was perfect. When she had decided it was, she sat back down and the stylist began to work on her make-up. Vivian and Rachael were fixing theirs as Cho emerged from the bathroom and made his way into the guest bedroom to get dressed. Maura's make-up consisted of mainly neutral colours; gold eye shadow shimmered in the hollow of her eyelid's, enhancing the colour of her eyes. Rose-coloured lipstick lined her lips, and her cheeks had a blush tint to them. Looking in the mirror at herself, she couldn't help but be glad she no longer resembled one of the many corpses she had performed autopsies upon. She thanked the stylist who wished her well and left quickly so they could get dressed. Maura checked her phone for the time, and any messages she was hoping Jane had left for her.

There were no messages on her phone, so she typed out a quick message to Jane. '_I love you, see you soon :-) xo_' The time on the front of her screen flashed 08.56AM in large white letters and she suddenly felt nauseous again. The boat was to leave the dock at 10AM and although they didn't live too far from there, Maura was beginning to panic about traffic and whether they would get there on time. The Rizzoli residence was closer to the dock than they were so she wasn't too worried about Jane and the Rizzoli's getting there on time. By this point, Rachael, Vivian and Cho were all dressed and ready to go; they were just waiting on Maura. She had asked Vivian to help her get dressed, normally she would have been fine but she didn't want to mess her hair or get make-up on her expensive dress so figured it would be better to have some help.

Vivian and Maura left Rachael and Cho trying to figure out how to fasten Cho's rose into the lapel of his suit and made their way into Maura's guest bedroom, where she had been keeping the dress.

"How are you feeling?" Vivian asked, as she unzipped the zipper on the case.

Maura nodded, "Better than before. The tablets have begun to work and my veisalgia seems to be reducing."

"Good," Vivian replied, taking the dress out of the bag. "Maura, this is absolutely gorgeous."

Maura nodded, taking the bottom of it in her hands, stroking the fabric which was smooth to the touch. "It is, isn't it?"

"I dread to think how much you paid for it," Vivian laughed, in a throwaway manner.

"$9,875.00," Maura stated, as if it were nothing. Vivian's jaw almost hit the ground with shock.

"I'm not sure I should be handling it at that price!" Vivian unzipped the material carefully, as if she were going to break it.

"Nonsense, it's perfectly durable. You're not going to break it unless you intend on doing so," Maura turned around to pull the knee-length white tulle underskirt on first, removing her pajama bottoms in the process. The dress was strapless so it was easily slipped on as her pajama top was removed, and the dress slid down her body perfectly. The tone of the dress complimented her skin colour and hugged her silhouette elegantly. Vivian zipped up the back and fastened the dress-buttons over it to disguise the zipper and Maura turned around to face her; arms extended. "Well?"

"Maura, you look absolutely gorgeous. Stunning," She walked forward and hugged the medical examiner, wiping a few tears from the corner of her eyes.

"Thank you. I was hoping that would be the case." She held on to Vivian's arms as she steadied herself to slip her feet into the pair of Champagne Jimmy Choo heels that were lined up against the base of the guest bed. Turning around to face herself in the floor-length mirror that was stood up against the armoire, she admired herself in the mirror. She sucked a deep breath in and let it out slowly, "I hope Jane likes it."

Vivian stepped up behind her and smiled, "Jane would have to be an idiot not to."

Maura smiled and turned around, hugging Vivian once more. "Thank you for your help this morning. I couldn't have gotten ready in time without you."

A knock on the door revealed Rachael standing there, announcing that the cars were there and waiting for them. She practically ran up to Maura and enveloped her in a hug when she saw her stood there. "Maura! You look gorgeous!"

Cho appeared in the doorway quickly, a huge smile across his face. "Well, Jane is certainly a lucky woman, isn't she?" He kissed Maura on her cheek quickly, and handed her the bouquet of flowers, before giving Vivian and Rachael theirs. "Time to go, ladies."

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><p><strong>Just a quick one for tonight! More tomorrow, unless the dentist sedates me in which case it will be the weekend :-) <strong>


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